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Global Anti-Semitism: Selected Anti-Semitic Incidents 2011

Argentina

December 22, 2011 – Coronel Suarez – Anti-Semitic graffiti were spray painted on the doors and windows of the local Jewish community building, the house of a Jewish doctor and at the entrance of a healthcare facility whose director is also a member of the Jewish community.

December 21, 2011 - Entre Rios - Swastikas were sprayed painted at the entrance of a Jewish cemetery.

May 9, 2011 – Buenos Aires – The director of an Orthodox Jewish school was attacked in front of the door of the school. An unknown man approached the school director while screaming “Jew… Jew” and hit him with an Iron bar.

March 18, 2011 – Buenos Aires – Anti-Semitic insults and threats were aired in a Crónica TV live broadcast of the official event of the commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attack against the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Belgium

February 22, 2011 – Antwerp – A Jewish man riding a bicycle was punched in the face. When he asked the attacker why he hit him, the assailant said, “Because you’re a Jew.”

March 1, 2011 – Antwerp – When three Orthodox Jews entered a café, the barman shouted at them, “No Jews.” When they insisted that he repeat his comment, he said the café was closed, despite numerous clients being served.

Canada

August 4, 2011 – Toronto – A swastika with the words “Islam will rule” was spray painted on the exterior of the Beth Tikvah synagogue.

November 2011 - Winnipeg - A fifteen year-old boy and his fifteen year-old female classmate — both students at Oak Park High School — were in the hallway when the boy started flicking a lighter near the girl's hair and said, "Let's burn the Jew." A few inches of the girl's hair was singed but she was otherwise uninjured.

January 15, 2011 – Montreal – Vandals hurled rocks through the windows of five synagogues and a Jewish day school

France

June 20, 2011 – Paris – A 40-year-old Jewish man was attacked by two assailants who grabbed his bag with his tallit (prayer shawl) and tefillin (phylacteries). The attackers punched and kicked him in the head and body, while shouting anti-Semitic insults. The victim suffered deep bruises on his face, head lacerations that required suturing, and a fractured wrist.

June 18, 2011 – Villeurbane – A 21-year-old identifiably Jewish man was assaulted in a suburb of Lyon. He was accosted by an individual who said, “turn around and go back, you son-of-a-bitch Jew.” The attacker left, then returned with a hammer and hit the victim on the head. A dozen other assailants joined in, kicking the victim and hitting him with a nightstick. The victim was hospitalized with head and other injuries.

May 7, 2011 – Marseilles – An 11-year-old Jewish girl on her way to a synagogue was accosted by a teenager who demanded to know if she was Jewish. The assailant threatened the girl with a knife and reportedly said, “You are going to dirty meeting.” Another teenager rescued the girl, who took refuge inside the synagogue.

May 7, 2011 – Marseilles – Three Jewish boys were beaten during a soccer match by a dozen attackers, who shouted “dirty Jews, we’re going to f--- your corpses.” One boy sustained a serious eye injury; the other two were only slightly injured.

May 7, 2011 – Nancy – A Jewish school was vandalized with anti-Semitic slogans and, evidence at the scene suggested, attempted arson. Minister of Education Luc Chatel denounced the attack as an attack on France.

April 7, 2011 – Lyon – A 21-year-old Jewish student was shot four times with a pellet gun in an attack involving two unidentified assailants. The incident started when one of the perpetrators asked the student’s name. After he responded, the perpetrator reportedly said, “You don’t look like an Antoine, you look like a Jew, you’re definitely a Jew.” When the victim confirmed he was Jewish, one of the assailants shot him. The student was also beaten on his head and body with the butt of the gun. He was hospitalized with wounds to the head, neck, abdomen, and arm.

March 19, 2011 - Garges-lès-Gonesse – A rock was thrown through a window of a synagogue during an evening Purim celebration.

March 17, 2011 – Pont de Heruy – A 15-year-old Jewish boy was beaten by a group of about a dozen teenagers. The attackers threw him to the ground and beat him while yelling anti-Semitic insults.

Germany

March 30, 2011 – Aachen – A swastika was spray-painted on the synagogue.

January 24, 2011 – Goshen – A country house owned by an identifiably Jewish man was the target of an arson attack. A Star of David had been painted on the wall, together with the word “Out,” and police found evidence of arson.

Greece

May 15, 2011 – Volos -- “Jews you will die” and “Jewish (expletive), the gallows are coming” were among numerous anti-Semitic threats scrawled on the Volos synagogue and Jewish community center. Ultra-nationalist slogans, “Greece,” and crosses were also spray-painted on the synagogue’s exterior walls.

February 8, 2011 – Athens - Mikis Theodorakis, the composer of “Zorba the Greek," said in a television interview that he is an "anti-Semite and anti-Zionist."

Hungary

January 23, 2011 – Marcali – Three teenagers toppled 75 tombstones in a Jewish cemetery and admitted to police that they were “showing off” for one another. Prime Minister Orban’s spokesman condemned the incident, saying, “vandalism triggered by anti-Semitism" is "offensive to the Hungarian Jewish community and to all Hungarians." He added that "the government condemns vandalism and will punish such acts."

Netherlands

May 14, 2011 – Leek – “C18,” a neo-Nazi slogan, and a swastika were spray-painted on the door of a Jewish school, which also houses a museum to the Jews of Leek who were deported and murdered during the Holocaust.

February 10, 2011 – Amsterdam – During an interfaith walk by two rabbis, two Muslim scholars, a bishop and a pastor in an area where several anti-Semitic incidents have occurred, a young man made a Hitler salute and yelled, “Cancerous Jews.”

Poland

August 10, 2011 – Orla – "Jews to the gas," "Jude raus", "All of Poland for the Poles," and "White power" were spray-painted on a historic synagogue.

Russia

July 11, 2011 – Moscow – Following the conviction of 12 neo-Nazis for murdering at least 20 non-Slavic people (mostly from Central Asia and the Caucasus), six Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Moscow synagogue. The synagogue did not catch fire and no one was injured.

January 31, 2011 - St. Petersburg – Swastikas, anti-Semitic slogans, and threats were spray-painted on the gate and wall of the Jewish community center. The logo of a neo-Nazi group, NSWP, was also drawn.

Serbia

February 28, 2011 – Belgrade - On a popular reality TV show, Serbian pop star Maja Nikolic said, “I don’t like Jews.” The Minister of Justice denounced the hate speech and the Public Prosecutor has opened an investigation.

Switzerland

February 23, 2011 - Lausanne – Upon leaving a synagogue, a rabbi’s assistant was attacked by three individuals. The assailants asked if he was Jewish. When he responded positively, the three shouted anti-Semitic epithets, beat him with their fists and kicked him. Passers by intervened and called the police, who managed to arrest two of the assailants.

UK

January 29, 2011 – Manchester - The head of the National Union of Students had to be led to safety by police from a tuition fees rally he had been due to address after being surrounded by protesters chanting anti-Semitic insults at him.

Venezuela

June 7, 2011 – Caracas – Anti-Semitic graffiti, including the words “Live Palestine, Death to Zionism” and an image of a crossed-out Star of David, was spray-painted on the main Sephardic synagogue. The incident occurred during a pro-government march that passed through the synagogue. Some marchers shouted, “Here are the Jews, the ones who kill the Palestinian people, the ones who take the Zionist war around the world.”